About maketodayrock.com: We celebrate musicians' birthdays, remember those we've lost, and highlight key moments in music such a release dates, chart peak dates, or anything else tied to a specific date. Pick any day from the menu in the top right. The front page shows recent obituaries.
May 12, 2024 ~ Saxophonist David Sanborn, full name David William Sanborn, passed away in Tarrytown, New York, USA ~ Played with Albert King and Little Milton while still in his mid-teens. To jazz-oriented audiences Sanborn is well known for some two dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with the acclaimed Taking Off released in 1975, his work with the Brecker Brothers as well as on some of Randy Brecker's solo outings, and for his association with Bob James. Pop, rock, and R&B audiences may have heard Sanborn on tracks such as Stevie Wonder's Tuesday Heartbreak, David Bowie's Young Americans, and James Taylor's How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You). Over the course of his lengthy career, Sanborn has appeared on albums by Paul Butterfield, the Eagles, Loudon Wainwright III, Todd Rundgren (A Wizard A True Star), Tommy Bolin, Paul Simon (Still Crazy After All These Years), Bruce Springsteen (Born To Run), Linda Ronstadt, Michael Franks, Jaco Pastorius, Elton John, Flora Purim, Dr John, Chaka Khan, JD Souther, Steely Dan (Gaucho), Randy Crawford, Kenny Loggins, the Rolling Stones (Undercover), Billy Joel (An Innocent Man), Hiram Bullock, the Manhattan Transfer, and Youssou n'Dour ~ Sanborn was born in 1945
May 12, 2023 ~ Keyboardist Francis Monkman passed away in Bedfordshire, UK ~ Co-founded Sisyphus in the late 1960s. The band would evolve into the pioneering progressive rock outfit Curved Air, with whom Monkman recorded the albums Air Conditioning, Second Album, and Phantasmagoria, before departing the band over artistic differences. After his departure from the band Monkman has guested on recordings by Renaissance, Al Stewart, and Lynsey de Paul, collaborated with Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno in the short-lived 801, worked with classical fusion band Sky, and recorded as a solo artist ~ Monkman was born in 1949May 12, 2022 ~ R&B singer Ben Moore, full name Benjamin Moore Jr, passed away ~ Sang with Otis Redding and James Brown. Member of Jimmy Tig & the Rounders. Teamed up with James Purify in the mid 1970s adopting the moniker Bobby Purify previously held by Robert Lee Dickey. The reformed James & Bobby Purify would re-record I'm Your Puppet reaching top 20 in the UK in 1976. Subsequently Moore would also record as a solo artist, keeping the Purify moniker, retiring from music by the 1990s. By the end of the decade returned to music, encouraged by Ray Charles, and later joined gospel outfit the Blind Boys Of Alabama ~ Moore was born in 1941
May 12, 2018 ~ Singer Netta wins the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Songfestival held in Lisbon, Portugal ~ Representing Israel, Netta wins with the song Toy written by Doron Medalie and Stav Beger. Runner-ups would be Eleni Foureira representing Cyprus with the song Fuego in 2nd place, and Cesár Sampson representing Austria with the song Nobody But You in 3rd place
May 12, 2011 ~ Drummer Lloyd Knibb passed away in Harbour View, Jamaica ~ Considered one of the most important and influential Jamaican drummers, credited with helping shape ska. Best known as longtime member of the Skatalites, starting in the 1960s. Got his start in music playing in jazz and swing bands, notably backing artists such as Val Bennett and Eric Dean. In-demand session musician, sought after by producers such as Coxsone Dodd, Prince Buster, Sonia Pottinger, and Duke Reid ~ Knibb was born in 1931
May 12, 2011 ~ Jazz, swing saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist Ted Nash, full name Theodore Malcolm Nash, passed away ~ Nash initially aimed to become a classical flutist until he began playing saxophone in his early teens. Nash is perhaps best known for his association with bandleader Les Brown starting in the mid 1940s, including on the hits Sentimental Journey and My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time both of which featured lead vocalist Doris Day, and with film composer Henry Mancini from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, with whom he recorded about a dozen albums including notably performing the saxophone solo on the main theme from The Music From Peter Gunn soundtrack. Besides his soundtrack work with Mancini, Nash has also worked with film composer John Williams for the soundtracks of Jaws and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom and with Quincy Jones for the soundtrack of the TV series Roots (The Saga Of An American Family). Over the course of his career, Nash has appeared on albums by June Christy, Frank Sinatra (In The Wee Small Hours), Stan Getz, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald (Sings The Cole Porter Song Book), Barney Kessel, George van Eps (Mellow Guitar), Buddy Rich, Lena Horne (Stormy Weather), Dennis Farnon, Bob Thompson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Nancy Wilson, and Billy Eckstine. Outside jazz and film circles, Nash may be known for his forays into pop and rock starting in the late 1960s, including with Tak Shindo, the Monkees, Van Dyke Parks (Song Cycle), Frank Zappa (Lumpy Gravy), and Judy Collins. Nash has occassionally recorded as a leader or co-leader, notably on the acclaimed 1957 Brothers Nash album collaborating with his brother trombonist Dick Nash. Nash retired from music in the 1980s. Ted Nash is not to be confused with his nephew Ted Nash born in 1960, named after him, who continued the family tradition and became a professional saxophonist ~ Nash was born in 1922May 12, 2007 ~ Singer Marija Serifovic wins the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Songfestival held in Helsinki, Finland ~ Representing Serbia, Marija Serifovic wins with the song Molitva written by Vladimir Graić and Sasa Milosevic Mare. Ukraine's Verka Serduchka reaches 2nd place with Dancing Lasha Tumbia, while Russia reaches 3rd place, represented by Serebro performing Song No.1
May 12, 2006 ~ Florence Karlen, commonly known as songwriter Florence Kaye, passed away ~ Best known for co-writing several songs for Elvis Presley, usually with Bernie Baum and Bill Giant. Well known songs include Roustabout, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Edge Of Reality and notably (You're The) Devil In Disguise. Others who recorded songs co-written by Kaye include the Everly Brothers (That's Old Fashioned (That's The Way Love Should Be)), Gene Chandler, and Cindy Malone ~ Kaye was born in 1919
May 12, 2005 ~ Frank LaRocca, commonly known as rock drummer, producer Frankie LaRocka, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Briefly a member of Scandal, appearing on the band's eponymous Scandal debut EP released in 1982. Has also drummed for Bon Jovi, David Johansen, Bryan Adams, and John Waite. Would go on to serve as A&R executive and producer, noted for signing the Spin Doctors and producing the band's 1991 Pocketful Of Kryptonite album ~ LaRocca was born in 1954
May 12, 2005 ~ Eva Monica Nilsson, commonly known as vocal jazz singer, actress Monica Zetterlund, passed away in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Best known collaborating with Bill Evans on the acclaimed 1964 album Waltz For Debby. Known in Sweden as a fine interpreter of Evert Taube, Olle Adolphson, Povel Ramel. Known internationally for her collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Stan Getz, Steve Kuhn, and Quincy Jones ~ Nilsson was born in 1937
May 12, 2004 ~ Jazz clarinetist, composer John LaPorta, full name John Daniel LaPorta, passed away in Sarasota, Florida, USA ~ Classically trained, LaPorta is known for fusing jazz with classical music. One-time classmate of Buddy DeFranco. Played with Charlie Ventura and Bill Harris while still in his teens. LaPorta has recorded close to a dozen albums since the mid 1950s, and is respected in both the classical world for his collaborations with Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, and Igor Stravinsky, and in jazz circles for his collaborations with Woody Herman, Kenny Clarke, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Lester Young ~ LaPorta was born in 1920
May 12, 2003 ~ Jazz, blues pianist Bross Townsend, full name Bross Elvie Townsend, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ After relocating to Cleveland, Ohio, where he attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, Townsend would initially back local musicians such as Jimmy Scott and Wynonie Harris. Townsend would go on to work with the likes of Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, and Memphis Slim. He eventually became a fixture on the New York scene, performing as a solo artist as well as backing artists such as Bubba Brooks, Woody Herman, Diana Ross, and Arvell Shaw. He is also especially known for his association with Carrie Smith, regularly backing the singer. Townsend recorded only a few albums as a leader, noted specifically for I Love Jump Jazz released in 1995, and was a member of the 3B's with bassist Bob Cunningham and drummer Bernard Pretty Purdie ~ Townsend was born in 1933
May 12, 2001 ~ Pierino Ronald Como, commonly known as easy listening, vocal pop singer, actor Perry Como, passed away in Jupiter, Florida, USA ~ Recorded since the early 1940s, remaining popular well into the 1960s. Best known for songs such as I'm Gonna Love That Gal, Till The End Of Time, Prisoner Of Love, Chi Baba Chi Baba (My Bambino Go To Sleep), Some Enchanted Evening, If (They Made Me A King), Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes, Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom), Round And Round, Catch A Falling Star and It's Impossible ~ Como was born in 1912May 12, 2001 ~ A collaborative effort, Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL win the 46th edition for Estonia of the Eurovision Songfestival held in Copenhagen, Denmark ~ Representing Estonia, Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL win with Everybody written by Ivar Must and Maian-Anna Kärmas. Denmark would reach 2nd place, represented by Rollo & King with Never Ever Let You Go, while Greece's Antique reached 3rd place with Die For You
May 12, 1998 ~ The album Before These Crowded Streets by the Dave Matthews Band debuts atop the Billboard Hot 200 charts ~ As the band's two previous albums, Before These Crowded Streets was produced by Steve Lillywhite. It would be their first, however, to reach the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 200, ending a 16-week run for Titanic (Music From The Motion Picture). A critical and commercial success, highlights of the album included Don't Drink The Water, which notably featured guests singer Alanis Morissette and banjoist Béla Fleck, Stay (Wasting Time), and Crush. The band would go on to score half a dozen more Billboard Hot 200 No.1 albums through the late-2010s
May 12, 1997 ~ Country singer Tim McGraw releases It's Your Love, a duet with his wife Faith Hill issued as the lead single off McGraw's Everywhere album ~ A major hit for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who had married the year before, reaching No.7 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and topping the Billboard Country charts for six weeks. Written by Stephony Smith and pitched to McGraw by Missy Gallimore, wife of McGraw's regular producer Byron Gallimore. McGraw would later recall on first hearing the song: “We were dating at the time and we were in the middle of a tour together. (…) Missy showed up with that song and we went to the back of the bus to listen. I instantly knew I was going to cut it. I played it for Faith and told her I wanted her to sing on it. We both really felt like we had something.” The song would be covered several times, and notably sampled by Canadian country singer Madeline Merlo on her 2023 single Tim + Faith, a song intended to be a tribute to McGraw and Hill while using It's Your Love as its inspiration
May 12, 1995 ~ Domenica Rita Adriana Bertè, commonly known as singer, songwriter Mia Martini, passed away in Cardano al Campo, Italy ~ Widely regarded as one of the all-time leading voices of Italian music, with some twenty albums to her name from the turn of the 1970s until her death of cardiac arrest at age 47. Prior to her rise to fame as Martini, she has recorded a number of singles under the moniker Mimi Bertè. Best known for the hit songs Piccolo Uomo and Almeno Tu Nell' Universo, originally issued respectively in 1972 and 1989, both of which have also been translated and covered into other languages. Martini has represented her native Italy twice at the Eurovision Songfestival, reaching thirteenth place in 1977 wth Libera, 4th place in 1992 with Per Amarti. In 2019, the biopic Io Sono Mia was released, narrating Martini's life, including her artistic career, tumultuous relationships, and the discrimination she endured by the music system and her colleagues ~ Bertè was born in 1947May 12, 1993 ~ Trevor Christensen, commonly known as dubstep, trap, tropical house producer, DJ Said The Sky, born in Denver, Colorado, USA ~ Frequent collaborator of Illenium. Best known for his 2016 single Rush Over Me featuring Haliene. Released his full-length Wide-Eyed debut album in 2018. Has also collaborated with the likes of 3LAU, Matthew Koma, Dabin, and SLANDER
May 12, 1987 ~ Singer Janet Jackson releases The Pleasure Principle, lifted off her Control album ~ Written by Monte Moir, who co-produced the track with Janet Jackson and Steve Wiese, The Pleasure Principle was the only track lifted of the singer's breakout album not penned by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. While the previous five singles lifted off Control had all reached top 10 Billboard Hot 100, The Pleasure Principle would chart lower yet still was a respectable hit at No.14 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 on the Billboard R&B chart, making Jackson the first artist to score five Billboard R&B No.1 hits from the same album. The song can be considered an anthem of female empowerment fitting in nicely with the general feel of the album, Jackson's move to break free from her controlling family. Moir, formerly the keyboardist in the Time, which also included Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, has later commented The Pleasure Principle was about “being in a situation that was no longer working and that she no longer wants to be part of”
May 12, 1984 ~ Indie rock bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, percussionist Jessica Dobson born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Fronts Deep Sea Diver, which also includes her husband Peter Mansen. The band released their New Caves debut EP in 2009, initially a solo project yet would evolve into a full-fledged band by the time of their full-length History Speaks debut album released in 2012. Dobson briefly toured and recorded with the Shins during the early-2010s. Has also backed Beck on his 2008 Modern Guilt tour
May 12, 1981 ~ Singer, guitarist, trumpeter, songwriter David Myles born in Fredericton, Canada ~ Actively recording since the mid 2000s with over a dozen self-released albums to his name. Steadily built a devoted fanbase through active touring and cross-genre collaborations. Best known for the 2013 collaborative single Inner Ninja with rapper Classified, the all-time biggest-selling rap single in Canadian music. Myles has also notably worked with operatic and concert soprano Measha Brueggergosman and with jazz-pop singer Alex Cuba
May 12, 1981 ~ Gerwin Pardoel, commonly known as rapper Gers Pardoel, born in Nijmegen, the Netherlands ~ Rapper known for a string of Dutch top 10 hits in the early-2010s. First gained attention with a guest appearance on the Opposites' 2009 single Broodje Bakpao. Released his solo debut album, Deze Wereld Is Van Jou, in 2011, which spawned the Dutch No.1 single Ik Neem Je Mee. Other well known songs include Ik Ga Hard collaborating with the Partysquad, Bagagedrager and LouiseMay 12, 1978 ~ Jason Powers, commonly known as rapper Elzhi, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Member of Slum Village, joining the band in 2002 following J Dilla's departure. First appeared on the Trinity (Past Present & Future) album released later the same year. Powers released his The Preface solo debut album in 2008
May 12, 1976 ~ Jason Drew Harrow, commonly known as rapper, DJ, producer, label executive Kardinal Offishal, born in Scarborough, Canada ~ Dubbed “the Ambassador of Hip-hop” generally regarded as one of the best hip-hop producers of Canada. Emerged from the 1990s underground scene. Member of Circle. Released his full-length Eye And I solo debut album in 1997. Scored the 2008 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Dangerous featuring Akon. Has worked with Choclair, Busta Rhymes, T-Pain, Pharrell Williams, Bounty Killer, Pitbull, Melanie Durrant, Marco Polo, Estelle, Pete Rock, Method Man, Talib Kweli, and Wretch 32
May 12, 1976 ~ Blues rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, rock singer, guitarist, bassist, harmonicist, songwriter Keith Relf, full name William Keith Relf, passed away in Hounslow, UK ~ Original lead singer, key member of the Yardbirds. The band is best known for hits such as For Your Love, Heart Full Of Soul, Evil Hearted You, Shapes Of Things, and Over Under Sideways Down. Following the band's disbandement in 1968, Relf formed the acoustic duo Together with bandmate Jim McCarthy, followed by Renaissance. Subsequently, Relf has also worked with Steamhammer, folk-rock band Hunter Muskett, world music group Amber, psychedelic rockers Saturnalia, blues-rock outfit Medicine Head, and supergroup Armageddon ~ Relf was born in 1943